The Link
by Krystal Hope
Summary: There are more than just the Nephilim that roam this earth, there are also the Guardians. Autumn stumbles upon them and is dragged into their world, discovering that she is one of them. What are their purposes? Find out in this story...
1. Prologue

**The Link**

**By Krystal Hope**

**Prologue**

The long hard nights of searching thrilled him. He always loved the chase. The sense of thrill and the lust for prey was very addicting. He found himself always taking any job he could these days, he wondered if it drove her insane. He sighed inside, knowing full well why he was _really_ so eager to do these awful jobs. It kept his mind off of the woman. The woman who he loved, the one that betrayed them all. He glanced sideways at his partner. Summer was a pretty girl. Beautiful. But she could never compare to the angel that stole his heart. Summer's long trailing and wavy blonde hair just wasn't the same as her flowing long red hair. He remembered how it glowed crimson in the moonlight. Unlike the humans, her hair was straight and sleek. Always glossy and shiny, like her fur. He bit back a grin harshly. This wasn't the time to be thinking of her! He couldn't help himself. Immediately, her face followed. Summer's rosy cheeks and rounded face was cute, but that woman had pale features and a straight sharp face. Where Summer's eyes were cat-like and open, showing her playful nature, that woman's eyes were green as the forest and full of mystery. Never giving herself away. Her slits were thin and cut through the green wonderland like knives. He used to always stare in them, trapped forever. Now came the next part of his daily dreams, their figures. Summer had a preferable figure, everything was the perfect size, the perfect shape. She was thin and had enough shape to never need a corset...but that woman was very thin. Thin from the harsh times with out food. Thin from the lack of water, from the many times she gave her blood for others. And yet...she was beautiful as well. Everything about her seemed to scream at him with perfection.

"Hey? Are we even going the right way?" Summer's annoyed voice yanked him from his thoughts harshly. He scrambled to hold on, then all at once wanted to let go. He gave himself a mental shake. Summer's voice was light and kind, warm, but at the moment it was hard and serious. He let out a painful sigh as _her_ voice came back to his mind, gentle yet vicious.

"Of course we are! Don't you believe in me anymore?" He gave her one of his famous smirks, and watched her temper flare.

"NIGHT! I am cold and wet and I have to wear this stupid hideous black outfit. Hurry up before I die of ugliness!" she huffed. Her face pinched and tight as she glared at him. He chuckled to himself. Her outfit wasn't all that bad, in fact it helped emphasize the existing curves.

"Oh come on, you look great in black," he teased, poking fun at her hate for the color. What could he say? He liked the way black was a mystery, a color always closed and composed. Black was not defeated, it consumed those around it into its nothingness...that was what he liked about it. Black stood alone and in reality, so did he. Abandoned by his would-be partner, Night was hurt inside. _Why can't I just let her go?_ He thought to himself. Every time he tried, he felt drawn to her even more. He looked around as he caught a scent, yes the smell of a Shadow Kitsune was close. Abandoning his troubling thoughts, his red eyes brightened at the thought of the near prey. He couldn't wait, he trembled all over with anticipation. This was it, finally they had found the stupid beast. He looked around the corner of a tall building. An alley...he sighed. _Why does it ALWAYS have to be an alley?_ He thought, his smile fading. He hadn't liked alleys since...he shook himself and stepped in to a boy. The boy looked to be about thirteen or so. Brown hair and angry green eyes, and behind those eyes red. This was it, the possession. Summer growled in disgust.

"Going after thirteen-year-olds now are we?" she spat at the Shadow Kitsune in the boy. The boy's lips turned up in an odd forced smirk. He stopped and froze. He knew this boy from somewhere, but where? He stepped towards the boy opening his mouth to say something but the boy's body started to spasm and he fell to the ground. As his eyes were wide with shock and his mouth open, Night and Summer could see the Shadow Kitsune devour his heart and flee. Night stepped up to the boy, pity plain on his face as he rolled him over onto his stomach. Something caught his eye.

"Hey Summer...I think you should see this..." He cut off and recoiled in disbelief as Summer ran up next to him.

"What? What is it?" she asked worried. He pointed at the markings on the back of the boy's neck. Speechless with shock and horror. All Summer could do was let her jaw fall as Night remembered why that boy was so familiar. No it couldn't be. They had to report to Day immediately!


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Her breath came out in small short gasps. She made sure to keep her breathing quiet, lest the creature could hear her. She gave in, sighing. It was true she could stand outside the building forever, but she would fail. She hated this, she wished she didn't have to. High School was a monster that consumed everything, time and energy. Not to mention money. Autumn took a deep breath and looked at her reflection in the glass doors. She was fairly pretty, pale skin and a tiny skinny body. Narrow but open green eyes that were impossibly green. Long, straight red hair that looked like flames descending down her back. She smiled into her reflection, then frowned. No matter how pretty she was she could never compare to the sexy brunettes that practically ran the school. Bat an eyelash and the teacher would tell the answer. She scoffed. She knew everything anyways. She didn't know when they started the lesson but when the teacher asked the questions, she would raise her hand and the words would pour through her mouth like water down a waterfall. She laughed nervously and pushed open the doors. This was a day like any other.

The hallways were busy and filled with noise. Alive and loud, this school was never quiet. Autumn hurried to the designated area her and Tophy planned to meet every morning. She smiled at the thought of her best friend. She found herself wondering where the time went. She remembered him as a child, cute and gold and innocent. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and saw him wave at her. Again her thoughts claimed her as she stared at him. Tall and thin, with short golden hair and blue eyes. Autumn heard many of the popular girls declare that he had the face of an angel. His lips curled upwards in a brilliant smile as he approached her.

"Morning, Aut," he chirped with a grin. His voice was as smooth as silk and as deep as water. She grinned at the nickname he dawned her with ever since they were small. Rolling her eyes playfully, she met his challenge.

"How many times do I have to tell you Tophy? It's _good_ morning!" she said the words as if she were scolding a small child. She knew he hated that, especially since he was the older one. She sighed internally. Boys and their pride! Honestly!

"Yes, yes. Tis' a very good morning miss," he replied with a bow.

"Don't mock me!"

"I'm not mocking you, I'm playing with you."

"Stop playing with me then!"

"Where is the fun in friendship if we cannot tease one another?" he made sure to add a layer of hurt in his voice, just for her. Rolling her eyes for real this time, she turned towards the main hall and started to walk away from him. He followed, obviously enjoying the fact that he could affect her this way. She peeked at him over her shoulder, and he was grinning from ear to ear. Her face pinched into a frown. He came up next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. She looked up at him, her face turning warm. Autumn knew he felt things for her, she could feel it inside, but she felt nothing for him. Really, she felt nothing for no one. No TV crushes, no school hits. Nothing. Her liker was a cold stone, her mother would say in a light voice. Her mother, Marilyn Ara, was an artist. A gifted woman with a soul of art. She played multiple instruments, had a wonderful voice, and painted. She loved doing sunset scenes, it was what she was known for in the small town. Summerville was a nice place, with lots of green. The trees were full of life. Birds and bees sang and the sky was almost always blue. Flowers bloomed their brightest in many colors.

Stopping her progress in the hall, she turned into her first period class. The teacher was a beautiful brunette, with a wide smile and soft features. Autumn groaned internally. Mrs. Arianee was the mother of Theresa, the lead prissy of the school. Today was going to be a long day, she decided as she saw the murderous look the teacher gave her. As she took her seat in the back of the class, she glanced at Christopher, who took his seat in the front. Theresa was infatuated with Tophy, she always had been. The only thing was that he hated her. Her mother did everything in her power to change that. It made Autumn sick.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

A frown pulled at Day's face. She ran her fingers through her shoulder-length brown hair in anger. Her spring-green eyes narrowed in deep thought. "So the Shadow Kitsunes are possessing our own then? That means the Guardians are no longer as safe as we used to be. We must be careful not to let them take us." She was definitely upset over the loss of her nephew. Night nodded at her wise words while Summer stood in awe. Summer had recently remembered her past and was just getting used to the fact that even though they appeared young, they were centuries old. Day had the never aging appearance of an eighteen year old. The reason she was the leader of this base and not that woman had purely to do with experience, and the fact that Day didn't betray them like the woman did. Night never thought of her by name, lest he risk seeing her face to face or accidentally summoning her. He wondered if she missed him as much as he missed her. _If she doesn't...good riddance. If she does...she deserves it!_ He growled internally. Night knew full well that she missed him, he felt it inside. It ate away at him and most of the time he had to drink to suppress the strong desire to go after her. He wanted to hold her and kiss her. He wanted to cry that he forgave her and then he wanted to continue the Guardian race with her. He felt her desire as well, as if it were his own. She wanted to smell him, feel him. She wanted to fall at his feet and beg for mercy and forgiveness. That made him yearn for her touch, to know that she was truly sorry.

But he was Night, Guardian of the dark and the shadow. He was not Day of compassion and kindness, he was not Summer of the summer and warmth. He was not Autumn of the fall and love...no. He was simply, him. Her name echoed in his mind like a bell, he felt her close existence and it drove him mad. So close and yet out of reach. Why didn't he forgive her and go after her? Because he put his comrades over his heart. If he had to choose between one and the other, he would choose his...heart. So he didn't truly know why. Perhaps it was stubborn pride or perhaps it was the anger and hurt in his heart, bottled up and ready to be unleashed. But when Day said the next words, she looked directly at him and he felt the world shatter to pieces around him. "Wh-what did you say?" he stuttered. Day's eyes hardened sternly.

"Night, I want you to find Autumn. At this point she is the only one that can help us," her mouth moved but he did not hear her the second time. Why him? Why now? He swallowed hard. "But she..." Summer whirled and interrupted him, "We never gave her a chance to explain! Autumn was always the so called pure of heart. She never did anything stupid without a reason. What if it wasn't a betrayal?" She took a deep breath and whispered in his mind, "Night I know you miss her. We all do, but not as much as you. Please, relieve yourself, be finally at peace. This is something you need to do." He blinked at her disbelieving, but remembered. Summer and Autumn were sisters. Of course Summer would take her side. He let out a snort but shrugged and walked out of the room. There was no fighting it, he knew they were right.

Autumn walked home. It was a warm evening after all. She thought she'd take advantage and see the countryside. She loved Summerville, she didn't really know why but it stole her heart. The small town was spread out over softly rolling hills. It was where the country-folk lived. Horses and cattle grazed here and there, though it was a rich little town with quite the history. Breathing in the evening air, she smiled up at the sky, relaxed and reserved. Her green eyes scanned the landscape in search of anything that would catch her eye, or just simply out of the ordinary. She shook her head. Summerville was the same yesterday as it was the day before, there was no change in it. Who was she kidding? She wanted to get away from Summerville, ever the same, never changing.

She looked down at her feet and scolded herself to be happy about her life, when she froze. No it couldn't be...but she was so sure...there it was again! And then she knew, it was happening again. She panicked and looked around warily. Was there anyone around her? Anyone to see? She took gulps of air and tried to remain calm as she sunk to her knees, a feeling like her body was on fire consumed her. Autumn had been through this before, she dared not cry out for help, she was stronger than that. She knew better than to attract attention of the average passer-by. What was happening could never be known, only between her and her friend Christopher. Not even her parents knew about this transformation. She saw everything around her grow bigger as she shrunk. Her hands became deformed and suddenly were no long hands, but paws covered in black fur. The pain became unbearable and her world went black.

Night stepped outside in the warm evening air. His breath fogged in front of his face, clouding his vision slightly. It was a chilly evening, but he did not feel it. Well, he did, but hardly. He let out a long pained sigh. He was glad to be alone, yet not glad at the same time. Without his partner to distract him from his memories. But he was glad not to have her ranting about, or constantly talking about how he would look so much hotter. He could hear the pain in her voice. The truth was even though Autumn had hurt them, they still missed her. She was still one of them. But she was a Shadow Kitsune now. A traitor to her own race. He would hunt her, stalk her, find her, and end her. He spent most of his nights searching for her, gathering information. So far he had no luck. Of course she wouldn't keep the same name, he knew her better than that. Her eyes flashed through his mind again, and he felt his heart skip a beat. He stopped walking, running his fingers through his hair in a stressful manner, a sigh escaping his throat, his other hand resting on his hip.

That's when he heard it. He paused and looked around him, a little confused by the sound. He took in his surroundings and realized he had walked right out of the town onto the countryside. Beautiful hills caressed the sky, the light of the moon giving them a white luminescent glow. He smiled, distracted by the sight for a moment and forgetting all about the sound, until he heard it again. He frowned, straining his ears and carefully let his fox hearing open up, though he dared not release it entirely lest he risk his black ears forming. But he could now distinguish the sound. A whimper, a cry, and it came from off the road, in the grass. He closed off his extra hearing and headed towards the sound, the whimper getting louder as he approached. It was definitely a fox, he knew now. A vixen to be more specific. His frown deepened, pulling his soft eyebrows down over hardened red eyes. He reached her. She was a slender fox, one that took his breath away. A decent sized creature, with beautiful red fur. Her white tail-tip and belly-fur turned silver under the moon. Her black muzzle, paws, and ear-tips barely visible against the darkened grass. Her ears and tail drooped and her eyes were shut. He could tell by her whimpers that she was in great pain. He tilted his head to the side as he looked down at her. He opened his mouth and her scent washed over him. So sweet, so wonderful. A scent he could breathe in over and over and never grow tired of it. Suddenly, it seemed familiar.

He knew this girl. _No...it can't be_ he thought, but it was. And it was confirmed when she opened her eyes. Green pools of dark mist flooded his vision, pierced halfway through by a black slit. He couldn't stop looking in them. Blank recognition rested within. He gasped as all the memories came flooding back. The feel of her in his arms, the warmth of their bodies pressed close, the feeling of her lips on his. One word rang through his mind. _Autumn. _He stared down at her, mixed emotions running through his mind. He was happy, so so happy. So glad that she was there, that he had found his love. And at the same time hate and anger flooded him. She had betrayed them. But he could not fight the fact that his heart beat for her. His voice cracked as he whispered her name out loud. "Au-Autumn..?" She responded to her name, her ears perking up though he could tell by her blank stare that she did not recognize him. So she erased her memories after all. He felt a little hurt that she had erased him as well. He sat on his knees and reached a hand out to her, words poured uncontrollably out of his mouth. "It's alright. I'm a friend. You don't remember me but you can trust me Aut...trust me..." He said her nickname with tenderness, as he did before the incident. The small vixen blinked at him in recognition, though it seemed to be a confused one. Yet she pressed her nose to his palm anyways and he was filled with a happy warmth. He scooped her up in his arms, cradling her and pressing her to his chest. He turned around and began walking straight back to the headquarters. He hesitated for a moment, considering his options. He could take her in, but then she'd be locked up, questioned, examined. He shuddered as he remembered the process he had to go through once, a long time ago. Then he could just take her home and not tell Day. But that would be betraying his people. Then again, if he spoke nothing of it, he could leave her and be relieved and never look for her again. Besides he wanted to see what her home was like, if she was treated right. He began walking again. Her small body in his arms, pulsed with warmth, her beauty unnatural for any being, especially a fox. Her gaze was not blank nor animal, it was not human either. But piercing and judging. He narrowed his own eyes at her, and decided to speak.

"You aren't forgiven, just because I didn't rip your throat out doesn't mean they won't. You Do realize this don't you?" He thought he saw a flash of anger in her eyes, but it was replaced by hurt and confusion. He wondered why she acted so distant. It hurt him deeply that she would forget or at least pretend to forget him. He wrapped his fingers around her thin belly and held her up, face to face, so that he could look her in the eyes. "Turn human, I can take you more seriously that way," he ordered, his voice tight and distraught. She gazed at him, and gave her head a small shake. If he had not known her for so many years, he would think she was refusing, but he knew better. She couldn't, or more accurately, she didn't know how. With a heavy sigh, he set her down. Kneeling before her, he placed his hand gently on her head and reached out, sending his energy into her to trigger a transformation. It worked as he had hoped, angelic runes began to curl around her small body as a glow engulfed her, hiding her from view.


End file.
